At THE SEWING ROOM, we choose our instructors based on technical ability, teaching experience and people skills. We really want to make your experience the best it can be! See our class instructors below.

Jennifer Serr is Owner and Lead Instructor at The Sewing Room. An Alameda mom with over 20 years in the fashion industry. Jennifer is also Owner and Lead Designer at Bonjour Teaspoon Patterns - A sewing pattern company specializing in "Classic Style for the Modern Girl & Her Doll".

After an apparel industry career with Gap Inc. specializing in pattern making, garment construction & fitting, Jennifer spent the last 15+ years designing and creating Couture Wedding gowns for personal clients as well as teaching fashion, sewing and pattern making to students school age through college level.

"Sewing and Fashion are my favorite things and I'm excited to share my expertise and passion with you on your sewing adventure!"

Maria Chenut has spent many years living in Europe where she worked as a visual artist and making costumes for dancers, actors, hand puppets and large street parade giants. She loves collaborating and helping others get creative. Her mom thinks she can do anything! And she does do a bit of everything, including her own line of street clothes and accessories, custom collage packaging, sculptures and other strange objects that you can see onher website.

D'Arci Bruno Rhine learned to sew from her Italian grandmother at the age of 11. By the age of 13, she was sewing and designing costumes and sets for school plays and Halloween costumes for all the children in her neighborhood. d'Arci attended the San Francisco Art Institute, where she focused on painting, art history and writing. She has lived and worked in Alameda since 2009, and is most notably known for her outrageous Rhythmix Bingo costumes (2009-2012) and her larger than life murals for the Pacific Pinball Museum. d'Arci currently teaches Fashion Show Production Camp and beginning sewing skills at the Sewing Room.

Emily Payne is a San Francisco based fashion designer who has been building and creating looks for women since 1997. A graduate from the Art Institute of Dallas, Emily found her love for "creating garments specifically to throw amazing fashion show events" early on in her career and continues to participate in runway shows with her role in the Lifetime network series Project Runway Season 13. In addition to her time on Project Runway, Emily continues to design for her two private labels, Devon Rose, an edgy children's clothing line named after her daughter and Leather Tongue, a high-end street wear label for fashion forward women who want to show their femininity , but with a sharp edge.

Emily is a guest lecturer and sewing teacher at THE SEWING ROOM as well as BRITEX (San Francisco).